Bringing a precious new life into the world goes hand-in-hand with many important decisions.  You must decide on a name for your child, where the baby will be born, whether it will be a natural birth, and whether to make use of Cord Blood Banking

Whether you’re hearing of this concept for the first time, or still assessing whether it’s something you want to do, this article will inform you of the amazing benefits of the process. 

What Is Cord Blood Banking? 

Cord Blood Banking entails extracting and storing the blood that is left in the umbilical cord after delivery. Cord blood is rich in stem cells and nutrients. 

The purpose is to store the blood for your child’s possible future use, or to donate it to those who are in desperate need for cord blood. The blood that is collected from the umbilical cord is likened to the blood that is taken from bone marrow. 

You might be wondering why people don’t simply have blood extracted from bone marrow as opposed to going the umbilical cord route. Cord Blood Banking is a viable option for many reasons. Below are the top benefits associated with it.

  1. Treatment Benefits 

We all wish for our children to enjoy top health throughout their lives. However, illnesses and accidents can occur, and if precautionary measures were taken, can be treated easier than when caught off guard. Umbilical cord blood can be used to treat a number of ailments that include spinal cord injuries or dispositions, autism, Parkinson’s disease and anemia, among many other recorded diseases. 

The blood from the umbilical cord is injected into your child’s bloodstream and naturally flows to the areas of concern. Should the need arise for your child to undergo treatment and procedures that require the blood rich in stem cells, you will be well prepared and ready to proceed under medical guidance.

  1. Easy Procedure 

Extracting blood from the bone marrow is a process that requires invasive surgery under anesthesia. Drawing blood from the umbilical cord is simply done during the birthing process. It’s painless and effortless for your baby, who is only concerned with receiving his or her first cuddle and feed. 

Imagine your child years down the line being in a situation where he or she is in need of the blood, but has to endure a painful procedure before being treated for an ailment. Cord blood banking means that you can rest assured that, if the need arises, your child has the blood already stored up for him or her.

  1. Efficiency

The process of storing umbilical cord blood is efficient. The required blood tests are taken as soon as the blood is extracted. After the tests have been taken and recorded, the blood is stored and awaits the day of usage. This eliminates the anxiety that comes with having to have blood drawn from bone marrow, or being placed on a waiting list for a donor’s blood. Every second counts when in a situation that requires blood, and you can make sure that these seconds count as soon as your baby is born. 

  1. Preservation 

The blood drawn from the umbilical cord is preserved. You won’t have to worry about an expiry date looming and not know what to do with the blood. Your child might never be in a situation where he or she needs the blood. As an adult, they can decide to donate the blood to patients in need. 

  1. A Close Match Is Good Enough

Unlike with bone marrow stem cells, cord blood can be donated even if their blood type does not match your child’s completely. Assuming the path of donating the blood is chosen, any person can potentially benefit from it. This includes direct family members, or even an unrelated patient waiting for a donation. The umbilical cord blood drawn at the birth of your child can save lives in the future, which is a selfless act that leaves a lasting impact on those that receive the blood. 

  1. Low Risks Of Infection

Drawing blood from the bone marrow goes with a serious risk of infection. Cord blood banking has no such risk because the process is so simple. Your baby is left unharmed and is taken care of if any unforeseeable health issues, that may demand use of the blood, come up.

Conclusion

Your child’s health will always be a major concern and priority for you. Being gifted with a healthy baby is cause for celebration, but there’s no harm in being prepared for future situations that may require cord blood rich in stem cells and nutrients. 

Cord Blood Banking is painless, effortless, holds no risk of infection, efficient, and equipped to tackle many possible diseases.

You may be debating with yourself as to whether it is necessary, considering your child might never use the blood. However, it’s never a waste to do Cord Blood Banking, because your child can choose to donate it to a patient in need. 

It is better to be prepared than to have your child undergo bone marrow blood extraction—a painful and risky procedure. Cord blood banking is a life-saving gift that you can present your child with in the future.